November 2008 Issue: Solitude

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On Practice

On the Irish isle of Skellig Michael, Celtic monks once pursued a tough life of meditation. Guest writer Kulananda (Michael Chaskalson) feels a connection across the centuries with these vanished contemplatives, and senses a continuity between his own efforts and theirs.

Introverts can feel disadvantaged when everybody else seems so comfortably extroverted. But Sunada feels that the world benefits from the influence of qualities that come naturally to introverts. She explores ways that quieter types can be more "out there" without having to compromise who they really are.

Quote of the Month

"All of man's misfortune comes from one thing, which is not knowing how to sit quietly in a room."- Blaise Pascal

Everyone is prey to distractedness, to seeing solace in activity as an escape from experiencing ourselves. In fact this is one of the major obstacles to a meaningful life. Bodhipaksa argues, however, that the force underlying our distractedness is a creative one, and that properly channeled it can take us all the way to enlightenment.

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